Neuralink, the brain implant startup founded by Elon Musk, is accepting applications for a second participant in its human clinical trial. The announcement, made by Musk himself, comes five months after the company implanted its first brain chip in Noland Arbaugh, a 30-year-old man who became quadriplegic after a diving accident in 2016, and just a week after the company admitted an unexpected technical problem with the device.
Neuralink reported that the threads connecting the brain chip to Arbaugh’s brain had retracted, causing malfunctions. However, the company claims to have made the necessary adjustments to improve the device. Despite the setback, Arbaugh states that the implant has changed his life, allowing him to control a computer cursor with his mind, something he described as “monumental” during an interview on the American program Good Morning America.
The company is looking for people with tetraplegia who wish to participate in their clinical trial, offering the possibility to explore new ways of controlling a computer. Neuralink’s long-term goal is to develop implants that allow paralyzed individuals to control electronic devices such as smartphones and computers, and even help blind people regain their sight. These implants would collect and translate electrical signals from the brain into actions.
The new participants will be part of the PRIME (Precise Robotically Implanted Brain-Computer Interface) study, which aims to evaluate the safety of the implant and the surgical robot used for its placement, as well as test the functionality of the device. Neuralink is enrolling patients with limited or no ability to use both hands due to a cervical spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Although this technology will not be available to the public in the near future, Neuralink continues to work to ensure there are no regulatory issues before commercializing their brain implants.
